In a letter to his colleagues, Majority Leader Glen Casada announced Wednesday his intention to run for speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Casada, who previously served as a committee chairman and Republican caucus chairman, reflected on his time in office while making a pitch for lawmakers' support.

"Together, we have fought against liberal policies that would damage our economy and instead have promoted and passed bills that advance free-market principles across the state," he said.

"Now I hope to take these shared experiences to serve as your next Speaker of the House," said Casada, who is vying to replace House Speaker Beth Harwell, who in August lost her bid for the Republican nomination for governor and is leaving office.

Casada lost to Harwell in the speaker's race in 2010.

If he becomes the next speaker, Casada, who has represented his district since 2001, said he will focus on policy, politics and partnership.

He vowed to have a "more balanced" committee system that would give legislation a "fair opportunity" to get to the chamber's floor.

Although the next speaker will all but be guaranteed to be a Republican, Casada noted bipartisan efforts in the House during the 2018 session to solve issues with the state's education testing system.

"As we move forward, we will take this same group momentum to push forward with our shared conservative agenda," he said.

Casada also vowed to protect Republican incumbents. In the lead up to this year's primary election, the Williamson County Republican came under fire for getting involved. Ultimately, Casada helped elect more than a dozen Republican candidates, giving him a potential leg up on others seeking to become the next speaker.

Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, and Rep. Curtis Johnson, have also said they plan to run for speaker.

"As House Speaker, I give you my word that every decision made will be in an effort to uphold the legacies, traditions, and responsibilities given to us and to keep them firmly intact for the next generation of Tennesseans," Casada wrote in closing while asking for votes.

Among other things, Casada is known for his opposition to Medicaid expansion and in 2015 when he called for the Tennessee National Guard to gather up refugees. He's often curried favor among the more Tea Party-aligned members of the House Republican caucus and has defended GOP members who have often faced controversy, including former lawmaker Jeremy Durham.

Republicans are set to elect their candidates for leadership positions, including speaker, when they hold a caucus on Nov. 20. House lawmakers will not formally elect the next speaker until January, when the 111th General Assembly convenes.

Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.